A story is told of a rich merchant who spent all his time at work, and one day he decided to leave his business and just sit and learn. His family and friends tried to dissuade him to no avail. He quoted what our Sages said, ‘The Torah stays only with someone who kills himself on it’, and explained that a person should think of himself as dead already, and how he goes before the heavenly tribunal where they judge him harshly for all the time he wasted in vanities. After begging profusely, he is given another chance to make up all the time he wasted, provided he uses this time to fill it with Torah and mitzvas. Surely when he comes back down to the world he will no longer waste time and will pack his time with holy endeavors. If Hashem had mercy and did not take his life, should he not behave the same if not more?
